Means for propelling and steering barges



Patented July 27, 1897.

A. D. ARCHIBALD.

MEANS EUR PEUPELLING AND STEERING BAEGES.

L T.' N 11N.-

. l i l (No Model.)

UNITED STATES f PATENT OEEICE.

ALBA DVIGHT ARCHIBALD, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING BARG'ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent N0. 587,256, dated July 27, 1897.

Application tiled January 22| 1897. Serial No. 620,187. (No model.)

To all whom, ifm/Cty concern:

Be it known that I, ALBA DWIGHT ARCHI- BALD, of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Propelling and Steering Bai-ges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is intended to apply where a number of boats or barges are coupled together in a iieet and propelled by a power craft at the rear. The inertiaand momentum of such a iieet of loaded barges in the current of a river are so greatthatthermlrs of the propelling-steamer in the rear-have but little effect in steering. In rounding bends in the river dependence is mainly placed on the action of the current and of the steamers wheel.- Vhen there are high` winds blowing across the course, such fleets are generally unmanageable and are forced to tie up. The control of such iieets is at all times so uncertain as to result in large losses annually from wreckage and much loss of time each trip in transit.

Myinvention is intended to overcome these diiiiculties and supply a positive 'steering force at the head of the tow under the direct and immediate control of the pilot on the propelling-steamer and at the same time supplement the propelling power of the fleet; and to this end my invention consists in equipping the propelling-steamer' with a dynamo-electric machine and providing one ormore electric steering and propelling crafts on each side of the fleet of barges near the front and connected to and flanking the lleet, which steering-crafts are equipped each with an electric motor and a propelling screw or wheel driven by said motor. These motors are connected bymovable circuit-wires passing rearwardly over the barges to the propelling-craft, where a coupling is made with la permanent circuit to the dynamo. In the pilot-house or other convenient place on the steamer are suitable switches and rheostats to control and shunt form of driving-wheel.

of the screw or wheel propellers of the steering-crafts at an angle with the longitudinal line of said crafts, the propeller of the starthe one with the line of the fleet being equal to the angle of the other, so that the resultant of their combined forces when operating equally will be movement in a straight line.

Figure l is a plan View of a ileet of barges and-steering andV propelling crafts arranged in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram view of one of the switches.

Referring to Fig. l, A represents a gang of twelve barges which are lashed together. is the propelling-steamer, whose bow is arranged to press against the rear of the gang of barges, and C C are the two flanking steering-crafts arranged at the front end of the gang of barges, one being upon each-side and lashed to the gang.

On the propelling-steamer B is mounted the dynamo B', connected by wires ct a of opposite polarity to the switch-posts b l2', (located at any convenient place,) where the current is divided into the starboard and port circuits.

At d CZ (in the pilot-house conveniently for the pilot or elsewhere, as desired) are placed- `the reversing-switches, Fig. 2, and rheostats controlling the currents to the motors.

At E E' are the coupling-points of the permanent circuit-wires l 2 3 4 with the movable circuit-wires 5 6 7 8, which are carried over the barges on suitable supports to the motors of the steering-crafts C C', which have geared to the motors screw-propellers D2 or other Now when it is desiredlto turn the fleet of barges to the right the switch d is turned so as to close the port circuit through the motor of the steeringcraft C, and the switch el' is turned so as to cut out or reverse the current in the starboard circuit through the motor of the steering- IOO plates are connectedv with one circuit-wire and the middle plate to the other circuit-wire. The movement of these switch-bars reverses the current in the circuits, as shown in dotted lines, and lwhen left midway between the plates cuts oif the circuit. When the course of the lieet is straight, the resistance of the two circuits being practically the same, the current with both switches closed would act equally through both motors, greatly assisting the propelling of the iieet or, if reversed, in stopping the same.

It is evident that the operationof the steerin g power is convenientlyeffected,and instead of being dependent on the uncertain action of the river-currents in conjunction with the power exerted at the rear of the fleet the tow is perfectly controlled by the quick and sure application of a positive force at the head of the iieet at the option of the pilot on the steamer at the rear.

lt is intended that the steeriug-crafts C C shall also be utilized for carrying freight.

YVith my invention there is an avoidance of great risk of loss, the time of making the trip is shortened, a given amount of power in the steamer is made more effective in transporting a larger quantity of freight, and there is a great saving in the expense of navigation.-

lVith reference to the steering-crafts C C having propeller-shafts set at an angle to the longitudinal axes of the crafts, I would state that these are designed to be used in pairs,

and when so used the two flanking crafts C C' maybe lashed directly together and'propelled in a straight line by the resultant effect of the oblique propellers, so that these steering crafts may be transported or propelled from place to place apart from the gang of barges.

That I claim is- Il.` A pair of steering-crafts each having `its propeller set obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the craft and with the propeller-shaft of one craft at a reverse angle to that of the other craft substantially as shown and de scribed.

2. rlhe in'eans herein described for propelling and steering gangs of barges, comprising a propelling-steamer arranged in rear of the gang and provided with a dynamo and electric switches, and one or more steering-crafts ar- `ranged to iianlc the gang, one on each side 

